Why Romney took Monday debate risk in base to win undecideds

“Every poll I have seen — and I do lot of foreign policy consulting — shows the public, including Republicans, is not interested in going into Syria and want out of Afghanistan and Iraq,” Mr. Ciruli said. “The overwhelming majority of voters oppose intervention and there is no Republican majority in favor of intervening militarily in the Middle East.”

The latest Pew poll found that even on withdrawal from Afghanistan, where Mr. Romney has been most critical of Mr. Obama, 48 percent of Republicans and 58 percent of independents favor a full troop pullout now, regardless of whether things are settled in that country.

The same poll found 53 percent of Republicans and 72 percent of independents want the U.S. less involved in the Middle East.